CREATING YOUR

COMPREHENSIVE
ASSESSMENT PLAN

Ann Fillmore
Outcomes Assessment Liaison
CTE Programs
afillmore@clark.edu
360-992-2365
Today’s Objectives

We will discuss:
• The purpose of an assessment plan
• The elements involved in creating your plan
• How to create an assessment plan
First Things First

• Who you are?

• Why you are here?
• What does your department/program want to achieve?
• Do your department/program have an assessment plan?
Outcomes Assessment:

• Ongoing / continuous process

• Designed to improve student learning
• NOT an evaluation of faculty members, students, programs,
or courses
• Is useful
• Shows and demonstrates that students are ready to
succeed in the real world
• Helps us to move from stories to data (based in fact)
Assessment Cycle
• Understanding the
•Develop a plan for the
academic year cycle is key to
Plan •Incorporate changes
suggested from last making it work for
year’s plan
you!

• Assessment should
Assess be meaningful,
•Collect assessment data manageable,
•Analyze results measureable, and
Improve sustainable
•Decide how
assessment results
should be used to
improve program
•Implement changes to
improve student
learning
What is an Assessment Plan?

A document that outlines:

• The learning outcomes for departments or programs
• The assessment methods used to demonstrate the
achievement of each outcome
• The timeframe for collecting and reviewing the data
(Complete program assessment should occur over a 5-7
year period)
• The individual(s) responsible for the collection/review of
data
Why do We Need an Assessment Plan?

Purpose
• Provides a picture of what has been accomplished and what
needs to be done
• Enhances the effectiveness of programs
• Facilitates process/documentation of outcomes assessment
activities
• Breaks down assessment cycle into simpler tasks
• Helps to guide decision-making
• Helps to identify where support is needed
What is Included in an Assessment Plan?
There are no set rules for how to construct an assessment plan for
your department/program

Typical Plans Include:

• Which outcomes are to be assessed each year
• When each outcome is to be assessed
• What evidence/samples of student work will be collected
• How you will collect evidence
• When and where student work will be collected
• Who will collect student work, analyze data, and summarize
results/do reporting
Plans Should Be Flexible
Make it function for your department/program
• You don’t need to assess every outcome every year
• You don’t need to assess every student
• You don’t need to assess every class
• You can collect evidence over several quarters, then
evaluate
• If you have a large group of students
• Random sampling
Will I Have Time to Assess?
• Embedded in course/student work
• Anything a student does in a course that counts towards the course
grade or degree program
• Advantages
• Normal part of student work
• No extra work for faculty and students
• No extra cost for department
• Assessment process invisible to students

• Added assessments in course/student work

• Additional work for students & faculty
• Sample may not be representative or present an accurate picture
• Ex: standardized test
Effective Assessment Plans

• Multiple methods of assessment, including direct and indirect

• Indirect: Gathering information from students on their thoughts, attitudes,
perceptions, in relation to the course/program
• Direct: Examining work produced by students to determine whether it
meets the course/program outcomes

• Faculty should be involved in the process

• Assessment results should lead to course/program

Improvement and informed decision-making
Use the Assessment Planning Template
How
Evidence
Outcome(s) Evidence to Methods of Methods of Methods of Resources Faculty
Collected
Assessed be Collected Assessment Collection Analysis Needed Involved
Demonstrates
Outcome

Yr
1

Yr
2

Yr
3

Yr
4

Yr
5
Thank You for Attending
If you have any questions, please contact:

• Outcomes Assessment Liaisons

• Ann Fillmore, Assessment Liaison (CTE Programs)
• afillmore@clark.edu / 992-2365
• Toby Peterson, Assessment Liaison (Academic Transfer Programs)
• tpeterson@clark.edu / 992-2084

• Research and Assessment Professional

• Kanna Hudson, Planning and Effectiveness
• khudson@clark.edu / 992-2265

• OA Website at: http://www.clark.edu/tlc/outcome_assessment/